Automatic terminal applying machine



H. E. COOTES AUTOMATIC TERMINAL APPLYING MACHINE Nov. 4, 1958 OriginalFiled Dec. 16. 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORN EYS Nov. 4, 1958 H.E. COOTES 2,858,537

AUTOMATIC TERMINAL APPLYING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 16, 1948 6Sheets-Sheet 2 w ll INVENTOR 60 Hal-"0MB Cooks 1W ATTORNEYS H. E. COQTESAUTOMATIC TERMINAL APPLYING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 16. 1948 Nqv. 4,1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR [fa/ 0MB. 60022 5 w.

) f A ORNEYS/ Nov. 4, 1958 H. E. COOTES AUTOMATIC TERMINAL APPLYINGMACHINE Original Filed Dec. 16. 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 lNVENTOR H. E.COOTES 2,858,537

AUTOMATIC TERMINAL APPLYING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 16, 1948 6SheetsShe9t 5 Nov. 4, 1958 w W 4 G 1 2 w 0 7 2 0! @p 1 a Z M y 7 2 28 fim A I b E 7 m m T- W vh/V l l|l w Q \g 00 W 1. Ww T m n 1 6 m m m JINVENTOR flafioh i'. Cooks A ORNEYS Nov. 4, 1958 H. E. COOTES AUTOMATICTERMINAL APPLYING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 16, 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 6INVENTOR Harold l'Z Coozes A ORNEYS United States Patent AUTOMATICTERMINAL APPLYING MACHINE Harold E. Cootes, Harrisburg, Pa., assignor toAMP Incorporated, a corporation of New Jersey Original applicationDecember 16, 1948, Serial No. 65,645, now Patent No. 2,690,562, datedOctober 5, 1954. Divided and this application January 13, 1954, SerialNo. 403,715

3 Claims. (Cl. 1177) This invention relates to a machine forautomatically applying an electrical terminal or connector to a piece ofwire. The machine includes a region of terminal application protected bya safety guard and is so constituted that when an operator inserts awire through the guard into the region of terminal application andactuates a trigger, a preformed terminal blank from a supply of blankscarried in the machine is automatically and instantly applied to thewire to make a permanent and electrically efiicient connectiontherewith.

In the illustrative form of invention to be described herein the machineincorporates a reel of preformed electrical terminals integrallyattached in end-to-end fashion. Each terminal includes an ordinary ringtongue and a ferrule-forming portion. The ferrule-forming portionembodies a trough-like base which, upon application, will embrace awire, and an ear projecting upwardly on each side of the base presentingwith the base a U-shaped cross section perpendicular to the ferruleaxis. Upon application these ears are crimped into intimate contact withthe wire. The strip of terminals per se is not a part of my inventionbut is broadly described and claimed in an application of William S.Watts filed December 14, 1943, Serial No. 514,214 now abandoned. Othermodifications of preformed terminals useful for automatic applicationand other machines and modifications thereof than the one specificallydescribed hereinafter embodying my invention will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art.

Various mechanisms have been proposed heretofore for performing the samegeneral functions as my machines. Most of these have embodied a press ofgeneral applica tion modified to support crimping and feedingmechanisms. Some of these machines have been satisfactory, as where thedemand of the user was for a huge number of identical terminals appliedto an equally huge number of identical pieces of wire such that themachines could be elaborately set up and adjusted with full knowledgethat the great number of terminals installed would reduce the cost perunit sufficiently to make the initial investment recoverable. Ingeneral, however, it has not been a simple matter to put these machinesinto operation or to change these machines to adapt them to applying adifferent kind of terminal to some other kind of wire. And there haslong remained an unsupplied demand for a compact, relatively lightweightautomatic machine which could easily be adapted to apply automaticallyany one of a considerable variety of electrical terminals or connectors.

A machine incorporating my invention supplies this demand and at thesame time is so constructed and arranged that most of the parts in theorganization can be inexpensively produced without requirements forclose machining operations. The result is that my machines can bemaintained in optimum condition by an ordinary mechanic superficiallyfamiliar with lightweight production machinery and without the help of atool maker or setup man. All of the parts are readily assembled ordisassembled and the only pieces which are subject to ice 2 appreciablewear may readily be obtained from stock and installed without delay. Inaddition, when changing a machine to enable it to install a differentkind of terminal, the changes necessary can readily be accomplishedsimply by unbolting a few small parts, as will be described hereinafter,and by assembling from a stock of parts, in accordance with a simple setof instructions, a crimping and shearing assembly suitable for applyingthe terminals desired. These attributes are of particular importancewhen it is borne in mind that these machines find their primary utilityin production rooms where electrical harnesses are being fabricated,electronic chassis wired, or the like, and where semi-skilled electricalassemblers are common but tool makers, setup men, and skilled machinistsare, in elfect, unavailable except upon special prearrangement and thenonly at considerable expense. To have a machine operable, convertiblefrom one terminal to another, and requiring no precise setup oradjustment means the difference between efficient operation on the onehand and endless delay and annoyance to all concerned on the other.

It is an object of my invention to provide a machine of the characterdescribed having to a notable extent the capabilities andcharacteristics set forth. A further objective is to provide a machinewhich overcomes certain disadvantages inherent in previous machinesintended for performing the same general functions as my machine. Afurther objective is to provide a lightweight, low cost press in which aterminal feeding assembly and a terminal applying assembly can beinstalled and maintained by an ordinary mechanic. Another object is theprovision of a press for applying terminals in which any one of severalterminal feeding relationships may be selected and into which any one ofseveral terminal applying assemblies may be installed all as a matter ofmere routine. A further objective is to provide a simple and low costpress which can be adapted by an ordinary maintenance worker to applyingany one of a large variety of electrical terminals. Another objective isto provide a terminal apply ing machine wherein only a few wearing partsare present and in which all of the wearing parts may readily bereplaced without requiring the services of a skilled mechanic. A stillfurther object resides in the provision of a feeding assembly whereinthe length of feed may readily and accurately be adjusted. A yet furtherobject is to provide an automatic terminal applying machine which issufliciently lightweight to permit movement from place to place in aplant as needs arise, which does not require a large initial capitalinvestment, and which can be so easily converted to use with any one ofa wide variety of terminals as to render its use feasible on what havehereto-fore been considered as small lot production runs. Anotherobjective is to provide a press and feed assembly for obtaining optimumutility and efficiency in applying terminals by means of terminalapplicatorsof the type described in Patent No. 2,705,797, issued April12, 1955 to George J. Handel, Jr. part be pointed out as the descriptionproceeds and will in part become apparent therefrom.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, methods of operation and arrangements of partsas will be exemplified the contrary, are given for purposes ofillustration in.

Other objects will. in

orderthat others skilled in the art may fully understand the inventionand the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in variousforms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of an exemplary machine embodying myinvention;

Figure 2 is-a frontelevation of the machine illustrated in Figure 1';

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the machine illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is asectional view taken on an enlarged scale along the line 44of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken onan enlarged scale along the line5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line ,6-6 ofFigure 3;

"Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view ofsome of theparts illustratedin Figure 4 shown at the completion of a crimpingstroke;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of some of the partsillustrated in Figure 7 taken from the left as viewed in Figure 7;

Figure '9 an is exploded perspective view of those parts of theapplicator assembly which are carried by the ram of the press;

Figure 10 is an exploded perspective viewof some of. the. parts of theapplicator assembly which are carried by the bed of the press;

Figure 11 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal stripper whichforms a part of the applicator assembly; and

Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view of a guard which forms a partof the applicator assembly.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate one embodiment of the invention in amachine consisting essentially of a press generally indicated at 20, aterminal feeding assembly generally indicated at 22, and a terminalapplicator generally indicated at 24. The press includes a relativelyrugged casting 26, the upper portions of which form .a pair of arbormounts 28 and 29 in which is fixed an arbor 30. The arbor forms thepivot for a rocking bar 32, one end 34 of which is coupled tora pistonrod 36 forming a part of a power unit; in the present embodiment thepower unit takes the form of a pneumatically operated cylinder generallyindicated at 38. The other arm 40 of the rocking bar carries atransversly disposed toggle pin 42 upon which is journaled a toggle link44 (see Figure 3). The lower end of link 44 is pivotally pinned to theupper end of a ram 46. Ram 46 is constrained to vertical movement withinthe body of casting 26 with the aid of guide faces 48 and 50 and plate5-2. For purposes of disassembly, inspection, or otherwise plate 52 mayreadily be removed by unscrewing machine screws 54.

In the illustrative form of press the parts normally occupy therelationship illustrated in Figure 1 wherein ram 46 is at the top of itsstroke and the piston within cylinder 38 is at the bottom of thecylinder. The parts are returned to this position of rest by tensionsprings 56 which are spread between a yoke 58 retained on piston rod 36,and the bottom of the cylinder. When air under pressure is supplied tocylinder 38 its piston is forced upwardly carrying arm 34 with it andforcing arm 40 downwardly. The length of arm 34 compared with the lengthof arm 40, along with the toggle action of arm 40 and link 44, result ina great force multiplication which drives ram 46 downwardly with an evenacceleration and deceleration. In addition, the power-advantage flowingfrornthe toggle action makes itself felt principally through the finaltravel of the ram so that maximum power is available where it is mostneeded. Further, it will be observed that the toggle constructionprovides a definite downward limit beyond which the ram cannot travel.Thus the ram is driven to apoint of lowermost travel and there stopssmoothly and evenly without vibration or any jarring force which mightbe transmitted through the frame.

Casting 26 is provided with a pedestal 60 underlying the ram (see alsoFigures 2, 4 and 5). Pedestal 60 forms a support for an adjustable bed62 upon which part of the applicator assembly is mounted, as will be setforth hereinafter. As pointed out above, the bottom limit of movement ofram 46 is fixed, and in order to facilitate easy adjustments to theheight of the region of terminal application, between the bottom of theram and the top of the bed, I have provided a mechanism for raising orlowering the surface of bed 62 with respect to pedestal 60. Ordinarilybed 62 is clamped solidly and rigidly to pedestal 60 by a pair of screws64 and 66. In order to raise or lower bed 62 with respect to pedestal 60it is necessary only to loosen screws 64 and 66 and to apply adjustmentsto the height of the bed by turning an adjustment bolt 68. This isaccomplished by mechanism now to be described.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, bed 62 incorporates interiorly thereof apair of triangularly shaped blocks 70 and 71. Block 70 presents adownwardly-facing, sloping surface 72; block 71 presents anupwardly-facing, sloping surface 73. Bolt 68 is threaded throughopenings in pedestal 60 and carries in threaded engagement upon itscentral portion a double-acting wedge member 74. Member 74 presents anupwardly-facing, sloping surface 76 in face-to-face contact with surface72 and a downwardlyfacing sloping surface 77 in face-to-face contactwith surface 73.- ,As shown in Figure 4, if wedge member 74 is caused bybolt 68 to move to the right, the action-of the sloping surfaces 76 and72 will force bed 62 to move upwardly, where it can be clamped in placeby screws 64 and 66. Or if bolt 68 is so turned as to move wedge member74 to the left, as viewed in Figure 4, the action of the slopingsurfaces 77 and 73 will force the height of bed 62 with respect topedestal 60 to be lowered. Accordingly, when adjustments to the heightof the region of terminal application between the surface of bed 62 andthe bottom of ram 46 are desired, so as to accommodate the machine to adifferent size terminal applicator assembly, all that is necessary is toback off screws 64 and 66 and to cause the level of bed 62 positively tobe raised or lowered by appropriate turning adjustments made to bolt 68.Thereafter the relationship between bed and pedestal may be fixed bytightening screws 64 and 66. These operations can be performed by anordinary workman equipped with a screw driver and wrench, and therelatively small movements of the blocks 70 and 71, caused by contact oftheir said slanting faces with the cooperating faces of the doubleacting wedge member 74, as the latter is moved in sliding engagementwith said blocks by operation of the adjustment bolt 68, constitutes adelicate adjustment device of micrometer type.

Air is supplied to cylinder 38 by a conventional air supply system andwith the use of any of several commercially available valve mechanismswhich assures that the piston within the cylinder shall move its fullstroke before the supply of air is shut off. By guarding against thepossibility that the air supply may be shut off before the piston hasmoved through its full stroke, I thus make certain that the ram will becaused to move, upon every cycle, to the bottom of its stroke tocomplete a full crimping operation.

Ordinarily the cylinder and piston will cause the ram to make a rapidand complete downward stroke at the endof which the air supply is shutoff and the springs 56 smoothly return the piston to the bottom of thecylinder as air is forced therefrom. In rare instances, as may occur ifthe applicator assembly should jam, the machine will stop abruptly in acycle because the air suppliedto the cylinder-will not be able to drivethe piston to the top of its stroke. Thus where, for any reason, the ramis prevented from reaching the bottom of its stroke the piston willsimply stop moving at an intermediate point along its extent of traveland no serious damage will be done. An air supply pressure ranging inthe order of 8-0 to 110 pounds per square inch will in general beadequate to cause the machine to perform all of its crimping andshearing operations, as will be developed more fully hereinafter, andyet will not be so great as to cause serious damage to the machine inthose instances where something jams and the ram is not able to reachthe bottom of its stroke. And at all times the operator will know thatany regularly applied terminal has had the benefit of full crimpingpressure. When the ram does not fully bottom the machine will stopabruptly without completing its cycle and the operator will know thatthe terminal then in the machine has not had full crimping pressure.When the machine does jam, it can easily be cleared by manually shuttingoff the air supply to permit the parts to return to their normalposition ofrest. Thus the machine automatically precludes inadvertent orwilfully careless production of anything other than a fully crimpedterminal. In the illustrative form and with an air supply of about 110pounds pressure per square inch a ram action on the order of 8,000pounds pressure may be achieved.

As will be developed more fully hereinafter my machine is so constitutedthat upon each downward stroke of the ram a terminal is separated from astrip of terminals and is crimped at the region of terminal application.In order to make sure that upon every stroke of the ram a terminal willbe available at the region of terminal application and there so orientedas to be received and formed by the crimping dies, all as will bebrought out later herein, 1 have provided a feeding assembly, heretoforeindicated at 22, coordinated with the ram action in such fashion thatupon every cycle it will present the end terminal of the series withoutfail in proper position for the next application. Feeding assembly 22will now be described.

As shown in Figure 3 casting 26 carries a rearwardly extendingbifurcated bracket 78. Between the two leaves of bracket 78 there ispivotally mounted a feed lever 80. In the illustrative form lever 80 isjournaled upon a pin 82 extending through a pair of aligned openings 84in the leaves of bracket 78. For reasons which will be amplified laterin this description it is desirable that the length of the feedingoperation performed by assembly 22 shall be readily adjustable andtoward this end the leaves of bracket 78are also provided with alignedpairs of openings 86, 88, 90 and 92; pin 82 may be inserted through anypair of the openings 84, 86, 88, 90 and 92. Lever 80 itself carries aseries of five pivot openings, one for each of the five pairs ofopenings in the leaves of bracket 78. The result of this arrangement isthat regardless of which set of openings pin 82 may extend through. thegeneral height of lever 80 with respect to bracket 78 does not change.The only change which flows from different settings of pin 82 is thelocation of the pivot point of lever 80 with respect to bracket 78.

Lever 80 at its top end forms a pivot support for a feed adjustmentlever 94 pinned to the top of lever 80 by a pivot pin 96. Toward thebottom of adjustment lever 94 a pair of arms 98 extend inwardly, one oneach side of the bottom of feed lever 80. The lowermost portion of feedadjustment lever 94 carries another pair of inwardly extending arms 100with a pivot pin 102 extending therethrough. On the far end of pivot pin102, as viewed in Figure 3, the right-hand end of a tension spring 104is secured. The left-hand end of tension spring 104 is secured to a pin106 set in casting 26. The action of spring 104 is always to urge thelower end of adjustment lever 94 to the left and in a clockwisedirection with respect to pivot pin 96. The relationship of the lowerend of lever 94 may be adjusted with respect to the lower end of lever80 against the tension of spring 104 by the setting of an adjustmentscrew 108 threaded through lever 94 opposite arms 98 and extendingtherehetween to bear upon the lower end of feed lever 80. The setting ofadjustment screw 108 may be locked by means of a locking collar 110threaded upon the shank of adjustment screw 108 in a position to imposea jamming action upon the threads of screw 108 within lever 94.

Pin 102 forms a swinging pivot support for the upper end of feed finger112, the lower left-hand end of which, as viewed in Figure 3, isdisposed to execute a pushing action with respect to a series ofterminals associated with and directed into the applicator, as will bedescribed later. Whenever the end terminal of the series of terminals isapplied to a wire and removed, finger 112 functions automatically incoordination with other movements forming a part of one cycle ofoperation to feed the series of terminals to the left, as viewed inFigure 3, so as to bring the next terminal of the series to the regionof terminal application. It is important, of course, in order that thecrimping and shearing operations shall accomplish their intendedresults, that the end terminal be fed not too far and yet far enough.

With a machine embodying my invention it is a simple matter, whenadjusting the mechanism to perform a series of operations automatically,to set the end terminal manually in its correct position while themachine is at rest. Each strip of terminals incorporating the inventionof the aforementioned Watts application is so constituted that everyterminal presents an abutment which serves to receive measured pushingoperations imposed upon the strip. If each pushing operation is of thecorrect length and if the end of the feed stroke is correctly limited,once the strip of terminals has been properly oriented in relation tothe shearing and crimping operations, thereafter each feeding operationwill successively locate the end terminal in its correct position foranother terminal applying operation. In the present embodiment finger112 is constantly urged in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed inFigure 3, by a spring 114 centered upon pin 102 and hearing at one endupon a lower portion of adjustment lever 94 and at its other end upon anintermediate portion of feed finger 112. Thus when feed finger 112 iscarried to the right, its lower end rides over the abutment of the nextterminal and at once assumes a position to push the next terminal to theleft. In my machine, the extent to which the end of feed finger 112pushes the strip of terminals to the left can be accurately and easilyset while the machine is at rest by adjustments made to screw 108against the pressure of spring 104, varying the spacing between thelower ends of adjustment lever 94 and feed lever 80.

In order to perform a feeding operation each time that a terminal isapplied, I have provided a push rod 116 slidably disposed in ahorizontal guideway formed in casting 26 adjacent to the path followedby ram 46. Ram 46 includes a cam surface 118 cut into one of itsvertical sides in such position (see Figure 3) as to cause push rod 116to move to the right in simple harmonic motion each time that the ram isbottomed. Each time push rod 116 is moved to the right the lower end offeed lever is caused to move to the right, counterclockwise with respectto pin 82, carrying with it adjustment lever 94. The result is that feedfinger 112 is drawn to the right, the lower end of the finger ridingover the next terminal of the series until it passes beyond the abutmentof the next terminal.

The extent to which the lower end of feed finger 112 is moved to theright is not so critical as the precise limit to which it is moved onthe left. The finger must be moved to the right far enough to ride overthe abutment of the next terminal in the series and it may travelslight: ly beyond that point. For even though it does travel a littlebeyond the next rearward terminal abutment, it will pick up the nextterminal on the return feeding stroke when it reaches the abutment andthe overtravel will simply be lost motion. The length .of the feedingstroke desirable will depend, of course, upon the size and type oftheindividual terminals in the strip and th spacing between terminals.For a lOng feeding stroke pin 82 should be positioned in holes 92; for ashort stroke it should be positioned in holes 86; andfor-a stroke ofintermediate length it should be adjusted in some set of intermediateholes. I have found that for most cases the feed finger can be caused toride over the abutment of the next terminal in the series of terminalsand not too far beyond merely by selecting some one of the five sets ofholes in the leaves of bracket 78 for pin 82. In special cases, certainof the parts of the assembly may be replaced by special parts.

As shown in Figure l the machine incorporates a strip of terminalsindicated at 128 connected in end-to-end fashion and carried upon a reel122. The reel is supported by a horizontal arm 124 projecting from apost 126 (.see also Figure 3') carried by abracket 128 extending fromcasting 26. The leading end of strip 120' is brought downwardly fromreel 122, around a flexible guide 130, below feeding assembly 22, andtoward the region of terminal application centered in applicator 24.Reel 122 contains a considerable mass and in order to isolate it fromsuccessive jerks applied on strip .120 by feeding finger 112 I providethe guide 130 in the form of a resilient leaf spring which flexesthrough its inherent resilience to absorb the jerks imposed upon thestripby the feeding mechanism. The result is that the feeding mechanismis enabled regularly to advance the leading end of the strip into theregion of application with rapid acceleration and deceleration withoutinterferencecay sed by inertia effects which otherwise would begimposedby the relatively heavy mass carried upon reel 122. The flexing of guard130 permits the leading end of the'strip to advance suddenly and causesthe trailing endof the strip to uncoil from the reel gradually andevenly as the strip is consumed.

The leading end of strip 120 advances tothe region of application acrossthe upper surface of platform 131 formed by the rearward portion of bed62 (see also Figures 4, 6, 7 and The leading end of strip 120is.supported from below by platform 131 and is prevented from movingsidewise on the surface of the platform, to the right or left asviewed-in Figure 5, by a pair of guide plates 132 and 134. Guide plate132 is provided witha pair of adjustment slots 136 and adjustment screws138. Guide plate 134 similarly is provided with a pair of adjustmentslots 140 and adjustment screws 142. By means of these pairs of slotsand screws the positions of the guide plates upon the surface ofplatform 131 may be adjusted, laterally to the right or left as viewedin Figure 5, so as to form therebetween a guide channel of controllablewidth accurately fitted to the particular strip of terminals to beapplied. For any given width of strip the guide plates are clamped uponthe bed so as to present a channel directed into the region ofapplication and through which the leading end of the strip of terminalsloosely but accurately slides.

It is desirable that the leading end of strip 126) be firmly heldagainst platform 131. Accordingly, I have provided a floating drag block144 (see Figures 1 and 3) which overlies the terminal guide channel.Block 144 is retained in place by a pin 146 passing transversely throughthe block and upon which the block is loosely journaled. Pin 146 isrigidly carried in the upper end 148 of a bell crank lever 150; thislever is pivotally mounted upon a stud 152 set in bed 62. The lower end154 of the bell crank lever projects downwardly to form a lifting handleby which block 144 may be lifted. Qrdinarily the weight of handle 154acts by gravity ,to urge block 144 downwardly toward platform 131; forsome types of strip it is well to reinforce this action with a spring.When the leading end of a strip of terminals is resting upon platform131 between plates 1 32 and 134, the upwardly turned ferrule-formingears of the strip will ordinarily extend above the surface of plates 132and 134 so that the bottom surface of drag block 144 will rest upon theends of the upwardly projecting portions of the strip. Thus drag block144, with the aid of the downward force supplied by'the weight of lever154, -plus any spring force desirable, serves to maintain the advancingend of the strip firmlyseated in the guide channel. The friction uponthe strip presented by the drag block and its related parts issufficient to prevent the strip from moving backwardly upon the-returnstroke of the feeding finger when it moves tothe right, as viewed inFigure 4, to ride over the next abutment of the adjacent terminal tothe-rear.

The lowermost portion of feeding finger 1 12 is centered in the guidechannel between plates 132 and 134 and acts between drag block 144 andthe region of terminal application. Asthe feeding mechanism causes thefeeding finger to travel forwardly and rearwardly, the lower end of thefeeding finger slides to and fro withinthe guide channel betweentheregion of application on its left (see Figure 4) and drag block 144.As pointed out above, when the correct feeding limit of finger 112 hasbeen set by adjustment screw 108, and when a suitable length of feedingstroke has been selected with the aid ofadjustment pin 82, the lowermostportion of the feeding finger will ,ride;to and fro within the guidingchannel .and.will pushagainst a terminalfeeding abutment on its forwardstroketo advance the seriesof terminals with each cycle of the machineby an amount exactly equal to the distance between terminal abutments.And during the feeding operations plates 132 and 134, with the aid ofplatform v131 and drag block 144, will continue to guide the advancingend of the'strip into its correct positioninthe region of application.

In the illustrative form the applicator contains die members-of thegeneraltype described and claimedin the applications of James C. Macy,Serial No. 679, 630 ,filed June 27, 1946, U. S. Patent No. 2,557,126granted July 19, 1951 and Serial No. 717,842, filed December 23, 1946,now Patent No. 2,600,012, issued June 10, 1 952, The inventions embodiedin the applicator per se described in the present specification arernore fully set forth in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,705,797 to George].Handel, Jr. Essentially the applicator embodies a series of elementsselected from a stock of elements so as to build an assembly suited tothe particular configurations of the illustrated strip 120. Some ofthese elementsare clamped to the lower end of ram 46 and others of themare supported upon bed 62. Figure 9 illustrates the subassembly carriedby ram 46. It includes a shear blade 156, a spacer 158 and a erimper160. The parts are fastened into the ram by means of screws 162 and 16 4passing through aligned holes and threaded into the base of the ram.

As shown in Figure 10 the parts of the subassembly carried by bed 62include a shear plate 166, spacers 168, a slug plate 170, an anvil 172,and an anvil bracket 174. Anvil 172 is screwed to bracket 174 by a screw176. The parts of the subassembly are clamped in position in bed 62 byscrews 178 and 180.

The applicator assembly further includes (see Figure 11) a stripperplate 182 carried upon a stripper bracket 184 secured upon bed 62 by ascrew 186. In addition, the assembly includes a guard plate 188adjustably secured upon bed 62 by screws 190 and 192 passing through aslot 194 in the plate.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 10 screws 138 (see Figure 6)thread into openings 194 in bed 6 2. Screws 142 are threaded intoopenings 19.6. Screw 178 threads into opening 198 and screw threads intoopening 200. Screws and 192 thread into openings 202 and 204 and screw186 threads into opening206.

It will be appreciated that upon each cycle of'the machine a shearingand a crimping operation are performed. The end terminal is sheared fromthe series of terminals and it is crimped onto a wire oriented withinthe region assess? of application. In some instances, depending upon thecharacter of the terminal to be fabricated, it is convenient to shear aslug from between the end terminal and the next terminal and where aslug is to be removed from the strip, slug plate 170 may also functionas a shearing plate along with shear plate 166. In this instance shearblade 156 completes a severing operation against each of the members 166and 170. The width of the slug so removed will depend upon the width ofblade 156 and the corresponding spacers 168.

As illustrated-in Figure 7, the central portion of shear plate 166,below its shearing edge, is obliquely relieved, as indicated at 207, sothat in those instances where plate 166 is used in removing a slug aclearance space will be presented through which the slug may be ejected.As also illustrated in Figure 7, blade 156 is provided with a pair ofheels 208 which at all times remain in sliding relationship within thesubassembly clamped upon bed 62 and between spacers 168. Bed 62 isprovided with a slot 210 into which the lower ends of heels 208 may passwhen the ram bottoms and through which a slug may fall in thoseinstances when a slug is sheared from between adjacent terminals. Asshown in Figure a sloping surface 212 defined by suitable slots in block70 and wedge member 74 is provided below slot 210 for diverting slugsoutwardly from the machine through the slot .211 in bed 62 where theymay be collected as scrap material. The purpose of stripper plate 182 isto dislodge those terminals which, after the ram bottoms, tend to stickin the female crimper. The purpose of guard plate 183 is to assure thatthe operator shall not inadvertently have a finger in the region ofapplication when the ram bottoms. The slot 214 in plate 188 straddlesthe die portion 216 of anvil 172 and together slot 214 and the diesurface aid in funneling the ends of the wires correctly into the regionof application. Figure 4 illustrates that when the parts are at rest theleading terminal is in crimping position on the die surface of anvil172.

As best shown in Figure 3, casting 26 is fitted with a counter 218operated by a push rod 220 cooperating with a cam surface 222 out in ram46. Thus, each time the cam bottoms the counter registers the neXthigher num ber. Such counters are generally well known in the art.

From the foregoing it will be seen that an automatic terminal applyingmachine made in accordance with the present invention is well adapted toattain the ends and objects hereinbefore set forth and to beeconomically instaled and operated since both the machine and its metb)ds of operation and use are suited to common productisn practices andare susceptible to a wide latitude of variations as may be desirable inadapting the invention to diiferent applications.

I claim:

1. A press construction including a ram constrained to reciprocatorymovement along a path, means for driving said ram along said path, a bedtoward which the rant is moved, a supporting structure in which said ramis constrained and providing supporting portions for said driving meansand said bed, a vertically spaced pair of blocks connected to said bedand constrained to vertical sliding movement in said press construction,said blocks having respectively downwardly and upwardly slopingsurfaces, a wedge-block disposed between said spaced blocks andpresenting respectively upwardly and down- I wardly sloping surfaces inface-to-face contact with the respective sloping surfaces of said spacedblocks, and means for evenly moving said wedge-block laterally to effectvertical adjustment of said spaced blocks and said bed.

2. A press construction including a ram constrained to reciprocato-rymovement along a path, a toggle mechanism for driving said ram alongsaid path, a bed toward which the ram is moved, a supporting structurein which said ram is constrained and providing supporting porfor saidmechanism and said bed, a micrometertype adjustment assembly for saidbed including a vertically spaced pair of blocks rigidly connected tosaid bed and constrained by said bed supporting portion to verticalsliding movement, said blocks having respectively downwardly andupwardly sloping surfaces, a wedgeblock disposed between said spacedblocks and presenting respectively upwardly and downwardly slopingsurfaces in face-to-face contact with the respective sloping surfaces ofsaid spaced blocks, and a fine adjustment screw mounted in said bedsupporting portion and cooperative with said wedge-block for evenlymoving said wedge-block laterally to effect vertical adjustment of saidspaced blocks and bed.

3. A press construction for crimping the lead connector of an electricalconnector strip to a wire disposed therein comprising a ram constrainedto reciprocatory movement along a path, a bed toward which the ram ismoved, crimping die means coupled to said ram and bed and operablethereby to crimp the lead connector, severing die means operable withsaid crimping die means to detach the link joining the lead connector tothe strip, a supporting structure in which said ram is constrained andproviding a supporting portion for said bed, a vertically spaced pair ofblocks connected to said bed and constrained by said bed supportingportion to vertical sliding movement, said blocks having respectivelydownwardly and upwardly sloping surfaces, a wedge-block disposed betweensaid spaced blocks and presenting respectively upwardly and downwardlysloping surfaces in face-to-face contact with the respective slopingsurfaces of said spaced blocks, an adjustment screw mounted in said bedsupporting portion and extending through a threaded bore in saidwedge-block for evenly moving said wedge-block laterally to effectvertical adjustment of said spaced blocks and bed, a vertical slot insaid wedgeblock opening to the exterior of said press construction, anda passageway in said bed leading from said severing dies andcommunicating with said slot for discharging from the press the detachedconnecting links of the strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,024,416 Allison Dec. 17, 1935 2,038,795 Klocke Apr. 28, 1936 2,091,961Byerlein Sept. 7, 1937 2,116,922 Bleasdale May 10, 1938 2,133,161Colbert Oct. 11, 1938 2,250,530 I-Iafecost July 29, 1941 2,321,788Anderson June 15, 1943 2,408,379 Day Oct. 1, 1946 2,604,284 Arp July 22,1952 2,687,308 Highberg Aug. 24, 1954

